Kraus-Anderson completes North Star Elementary in Virginia

VIRGINIA—Kraus-Anderson Duluth has completed construction on North Star Elementary, a new $28.5 million school located at 411 S. 5th Ave. in Virginia.

The school opened for students on Tuesday.

The school is part of Rock Ridge Public School’s massive building project following the consolidation of the Eveleth-Gilbert and Virginia school districts into the Rock Ridge School District.

North Star, which will serve about 600 students annually, was designed by BNDRY Studio to reflect the more urban environment of downtown Virginia.

Sited on a large city block that formerly housed the district’s elementary and high school, North Star Elementary stands three stories tall, minimizing its building footprint and reclaiming greenspace—a longstanding desire of the surrounding community.

The new 79,000-square-foot elementary school for grades 3-6 features a variety of collaborative learning spaces and open concept classrooms outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and teaching resources. On the building’s second floor above the main commons area, students can extend their learning outdoors via a unique, open air learning patio.

Construction began in spring of 2022.